The Raw Bone and other chew bone options

Bison bones are a little smaller than Beef bones (weird, right?) and Beef is more commonly an allergen than Bison. If you have a dog that is potentially allergic to any proteins we recommend giving Bison bones.

Can I give them to cats, too? What about pets with weak or sensitive teeth?

If your cat will chew a bone we highly recommend giving them. It’s great for dental health and stress. If you haven’t given bones before or your cat (or dog) is being picky you might want to start with a raw trachea or sardines. Raw chicken necks, chicken neck crumbles, turkey necks, turkey neck crumbles, Achilles tendon, and scapula are available as well and are softer for bad teeth, old dogs, very young puppies and kitties. Cooked products that cats might love include lamb trachea, lamb weasands, lamb ears, venison tendons, Honest Kitchen Beams (catfish skins), freeze dried chicken, duck, or turkey necks.

How long can I leave them out?

Dogs and cats don’t have digestive enzymes in their mouths but they do have enzymes that break down pathogens. So leaving a mostly clean bone out isn’t likely to be dangerous for your furry friends as long as MOST of the meat is off of them. However, the longer a bone is exposed to oxygen the more brittle it becomes. We recommend throwing all bones away after 7 days.

What if my pet gets bored with it before my week is up?

If your pet gets all the marrow out and meat off and then loses interest in the bone you can re-stuff it. Some ideas for re-stuffing include mashed banana, Answers Additional Goat Milk, Answers Fish Stock, Auntie’s Cookie Kitchen veggie blends, green smoothies, dehydrated or raw food, K9 Natural Tripe (this is a great way to get supplements into your pooch or kitty), etc then you can re-freeze the bone, so it lasts longer. You can “freshen” up the bone every day with something new for each of the seven days!

What if my pet has bad teeth?

If pet has genetically bad teeth or never chews and has developed weak teeth (just like with people… the less weight bearing activity we have on our bones the more likely we are to develop osteoporosis) and you’re not sure if your pet is eligible for raw bones there are still other options. You can offer something “softer” while your pets’ teeth get stronger from more and more chewing. Anderson’s raw Scapula, Trachea’s (can be stuffed), Achilles Tendons, Ribs, Kneecaps or Knuckles (which are just marrow… no bone), OC Raw whole Sardines or something in the “not raw” section such as Himalayan Yak Chews (when they are micro waved they have the density of a pumice stone), Honest Kitchen Beams, Anderson’s low density Sliced Antlers, Trachea’s, Bully Sticks, Earth Animal No Hides, Vital Essentials Freeze Dried Turkey Necks/ Chicken Necks/ Duck Necks/ Turkey Tails, Snook’s or Sam’s Yams Sweet Potato chews, Aussie Naturals water buffalo tails, etc.

Are these going to be messy on my carpet?

The first time you give a raw bone it may be messy. You can give it outdoors or on a mat the first time, or give it frozen. After the majority of the meat is off of it, it’s no longer messy.

Aggressive chewers:

If your dog is an aggressive chewer its extra important that you pick a size bone that is appropriate for your pooch. Make sure the bone is large enough that it can’t be swallowed whole… too large is better than too small. Also, try to get a bone that is either small enough at one end that it can’t fit over their jaw, or large enough that it can fit easily back and forth over the jaw so that when the marrow is all gone it can’t get stuck over the jaw.

If your dog is aggressive to people or other dogs when chewing on bones please ask us for referrals to trainers. Chewing raw bones will not MAKE your pet aggressive but aggression in association with ANY food is dangerous and we recommend handling it before it becomes a bigger issue. More durable chews for really, really aggressive chewers include Anderson’s Raw Marrow Bones, Barkworthies Roots, Anderson’s high density whole Antlers, or Boulder Dog Bison or Beef Shanks.

How often can I give chews to my pet?

You can give a chew every day if you’d like. However, there are a few considerations:

EVERY chew contributes calories. Most pets can tolerate the additional calories but if your pet is on a diet or if they get diarrhea (which is probably from “over-feeding”… which may be the simple addition of treats and chews to a normal calorie diet) you need to factor in the calories within the treats and chews that you are giving to accommodate.

ANY product given too often can eventually lead to an allergic reaction. You should never give the SAME product every day, or even every few days. It’s a good idea to rotate the chews that you give your pet to prevent allergies down the road… this also prevents boredom and increases satisfaction with the chew you’re giving. Giving stuffed raw bones with different stuffers is acceptable as a rotation since they are getting minimal meat off the bone after the first or second chew session with the same bone.

How to regulate The POO when giving raw bones –

Mucous in the stool – if your dog or cat ate a chunk of bone (or any other material) the intestines natural defense against pathogens or foreign body is to wrap it up in a little mucous blankie so it gets through the digestive tract safely without causing problems. So seeing a mucousy stool is a GOOD thing in that you know that the digestive system is working effectively. It ALSO means that you should keep your eye open for other symptoms (like parasitic or other infection, vomiting, shaking, etc) but it could just be a one-time occurrence… in which case… YAY digestive tract for handling that well.

Hard white poo – If your pet ate a raw bone then had a small, dry, powdery, white stool that’s ok, too. The minerals in the bone often go through the system and create this kind of stool which is why we often recommend feeding a raw bone for a dog with chronically loose stool because they will solidify loose stools… most of the time (unless the loose stool is caused by overfeeding).

Diarrhea – If your pet ever gets a loose stool from raw bones it’s most likely from excessive calorie consumption. Bone marrow is over 780 calories per 3.5oz!!! So if you gave a raw bone PLUS a regular meal there is a good chance that the digestive tract was just like, “OVERLOAD!!!! PURGE PURGE PURGE!!!”… diarrhea is a natural occurrence to rid the body of excess of even the healthiest things (in addition to ridding toxins, obviously). It’s ok to skip a meal when you give a bone.

When starting ANY new chew it’s always best to supervise the first chew to see how your pet responds to the chew (and how responsible he or she is with it) and give it for 10-20 minutes at a time initially to see how their digestive system responds before committing to a full bone all in one sitting.

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The mission of Hero‘s PETS (Planetary and Ecologically Trusted Supplies) is to raise public awareness of the impact consumer decisions have not only on our own lives,
but on our community and our world. We carry only natural products from morally-conscious companies, and strive to support other independent companies in Colorado and around the US. Read more.